CHICAGO - Senior guard DeVon Chandler (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville) finished with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for Saint Xavier University, but it was not enough to slow down a big second-half rally by Roosevelt University (Ill.) in a tough Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) opening loss for the Cougars, 89-78, Saturday afternoon at the Keatings Sports Center in Chicago. SXU (8-2 overall/0-1 CCAC) hit just 30 percent (12-for-40) of its shots from the field after halftime, while the Lakers shot 71 percent (17-for-24) following the break to take the lead for good with just over 11 minutes remaining in regulation. Roosevelt got a huge effort from junior guard Paul Tometich, who led all scorers with 33 points on 11-for-15 shooting from the floor.

Sophomore point guard Roosevelt Green (Markham, Ill./Tinley Park) posted 14 points, four assists and five steals for the Cougars, while junior forward Phil Riggs (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic) tallied 10 points and seven rebounds. Saint Xavier led nearly the entire first half, but was never able to pull away taking a four-point advantage, 42-38, into the locker room at halftime. After pushing the lead to nine points, 53-44, early in the second half, the Lakers went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to take the one-point lead, 56-55. Roosevelt would stay hot the rest of the way extending its lead into double digits as the Cougars went cold from the field.

Saint Xavier (8-2 overall/0-1 CCAC) hosts Goshen College (Ind.) on Saturday, December 11, for a non-conference NAIA match-up. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start Saturday at the Shannon Center in Chicago.